Baked Sunday Mornings: Cheesy Focaccia

DELICIOUS!

 I know, I'm late, it's not Sunday morning any more, but is Sunday going-to-bed-time.  Sorry.  I decided to use this Baked project for our Superbowl fabulous food table this evening.  It was a hit.  We had a huge houseful of all ages and this was totally enjoyed.  

Since I waited until today  (I usually bake on Wednesdays when I have Honey and take an office work break...we love to bake together.) I'm behind on getting this post up.  I woke early, mixed up the dough and let it rise, then I put it into the fridge.  Every thing went well to that point.  When I returned home I took the chilled dough out of the fridge and thought it would take about an hour to warm up and get bubbly and oven ready.  Well, I was wrong.  It all worked out OK, but we're having a cloudy, sprinkley,  cold day and the house is a bit cold.  I did not want to turn on heat as I knew that we'd soon have lots of bodies in the house to warm it up.  Anyway, it took 4 1/2 long hours before I could begin baking.  Glad we did not plan to eat until Superbowl time.  It all worked out, but glad I was not in a hurry.  

My camera makes the crust look quite light...it truly was better browned.  This bread is light and airy, yet a little crusty...and the toppings were really tasty.  I went with this recipe as written except for the fridge time.  This is a keeper.

A note for those of you in the TWD group:

With a big crowd here I made 3 times the recipe...well two times this one and then I also made the TWD Focaccia which I'll post later.  I will just say that both recipes  are similar are delicious.  I like this recipe better if thinking of a sandwich use.  It puffed up better and is lighter.  I did use all bread flour in the TWD recipe to see what that would do.  Possibly that is why it did not puff up quite as much, although the quantities for the same ingredients are a little different proportions and that could be the difference.  I like the TWD recipe better when I want a more chewy bread.  

All my breads disappeared and all were totally enjoyed.  (I made the TWD dough yesterday so it could have a longer fridge time...supposedly this would enhance flavors, etc.  I did not notice a big difference.)

I'm ready to try this recipe again and without the chilling time.  It was all going so well and I think the whole process would have been easier...I must say that after 3 hours I was starting to worry about whether this bread would make it to our dinner today.

And I did get to bake with Honey.  Honey, her mom, and I all went to a baby shower yesterday.  I 'stole" Honey who spent the night and we did get to have our baking day together after all.

MY BAKED BUDDY

I looked quickly through your posts...they are wonderful...everyone did a great job and this recipe seems to be an all around hit.  "See" you all soon!

 

Tuesdays with Julia and Dorie: Finnish Pulla

BEAUTIFUL AND DELICIOUS CHRISTMAS FINNISH PULLA WREATH

I have a few of my own food groups which are necessary for my mental and physical health:

Number 1: Dark Chocolate
Number 2: Caramel
Number 3: Cookies, in general
Number 4: Good Freshly baked breads
Etc.

I enjoy other foods, but these daily are necessities. 

A great bread completes meals, holds other ingredients such as in a sandwich form, and even greater breads can be the meal.

I enjoyed making today’s dough, shaping and decorating the wreath, smelling the aroma, and now I’m enjoying the great texture and flavor of this Finnish Pulla which is a cardamom flavored bread, that because of shape and flavoring is quickly linked with Christmas.

Being the gift-giving time of year, I made two batches of dough, divided each in half, making one for us to try and 3 for friends.  I used pizza pans, as suggested in the recipe, for baking, and a half-size is a lovely size for those at home today.

A few minutes ago...
My baking was almost done when a friend, Louise,  came with gift in hand and I was certainly happy to be pulling hot bread from my oven, and even better, Christmas, wreath shaped, bread.   Louise, shouted, “Oh, you are baking Swedish bread, I love Swedish bread!”

And interestingly, #1 son returned from a month in Sweden two days ago, so he also is very interested in this bread.  Well, there went three loaves, just like that.  One for us, one for Louise, and one for #1 son.  I’ll find someone special for my last wreath.

I guess Louise and #1 are correct...even though this is Finnish bread, I’m thinking it is also Swedish?  I’m sure they know more than I in this area. 

Except for when l bite into a little pearl of sugar, this Pulla is not a sweet bread, in my opinion, although #2 Son  tasted it right out of the oven and he thinks it is sweet.  I’m thinking cinnamon rolls and those, of course, are much more sweet.

The flavors are very good, yet more subtle that I imagined...again I’m comparing to a cinnamon roll type wreath.  I will serve what remains of our wreath for dinner as I’m sure it will make a good  meal type bread rather than a dessert bread.  I’m guessing that those who enjoy a hot cup of coffee would love to sit down with a chunk of this wreath and with their hot drink this pairing would make a perfect break.  I’ll go for some sipping hot chocolate and with my wreath portion, I’ll take a comforting moment before tackling my next Christmas baking project.

Can’t wait to see your posts and get more great ideas for you...and I always do.
 
Hope you all have a great week.  Merry Christmas to all.  Happy Baking!




   

French Fridays With Dorie: Provencial Oilve Fougasse

HUBBY COMMENTED THAT THIS IS CONTAGIOUS--FUN AND FLAVORFUL

I should bake this Provencal Olive Fougasse again because now I know how I want it to turn out.

SOFT, STICKY DOUGH IS NOT MUCH THICKER THAN A BATTER

My fougasse was fun to make and delicious to eat, but it was not a beautiful rustic leaf.  My batter dough was obviously too soft even though I added an extra almost ½ cup of flour and maybe more if I count the rolling out flour addition.  My dough was to soft and sticky to roll out so I stretched it.  This was fine until I needed to move it to the baking sheets...way too soft.  It stretched to fit the entire pan.  Dorie wrote that “the dough will be very soft and sticky almost like a batter, and it will pool at the bottom of the bowl, but that’s fine.”

WHEN I LIFTED THE DOUGH TO MY PAN IT S-T-R-E-A-T-C-H-E-D

Well, my soft and sticky dough produced a fougasse that did not resemble Dorie's picture...my dough obviously needed another cup of flour to keep a shape.  I guess mine was TOO soft and sticky.
 

IT BAKED OK...BUT HAS AN EXTRA RUSTIC LOOK

Hubby and I both liked the flavor and texture of the olives; the other flavors were very subtle and overpowered by the olives and the salt.

Since most of us have acquired several lovely salts through our projects, I chose to use a Hawaiian white silver sea salt which glistened in the plentiful AZ sunlight.  This bread along with a simple salad were used as a relaxing on-the-patio snack.

Hubby, being from Pennsylvania and loving the PA Dutch foods, such as salty pretzels, loves to dip his salted breads in mustard like they do...so we followed suit, and also dipped this salted bread in mustard.

Even though I complain about my bread’s shapelessness, it was so tasty that I ate almost an entire baking sheet of this bread all by myself.  Hubby left for a bike ride so that he would stop eating.

Hubby was my only taster this time and besides liking this bread he also commented that they, meaning the French, like to put interesting items into their foods...I’m sure he meant olives in the bread.  I have used olives in breads in the past, but those breads have been more the artisan loaf style, making this was a different and interesting baking experience for me.  I think Dorie is right, this would be a fun picnic bread and with cheese it could make a meal.

HUBBY IS RIGHT, THIS FOUGASSE IS CONTAGIOUS

Hope your fougasse kept its leaf shape better than mine.  I’m interested to see how your baking projects fared.

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY to every woman out there who does mothering of any kind!!!!!!!!!!!!